The Spectors release first single “Nico”!

A lament about alienation and the consequences of substance abuse, as well as an ode to The Velvets’ resident femme fatale, “Nico” is The Spectors’ debut single and the precursor of their first E.P. on [PIAS], slated for a March 2014 release.

Written by frontwoman and bass-player Marieke Hutsebaut, the song draws from musical and personal experiences and was finetuned during a week’s stay with Brit musician Chris Urbanowicz in NYC. Chris not only produced “Nico” (and the forthcoming E.P.), he also added some signature guitar and synth parts, which effectively make this his first official musical outing since leaving Editors in 2012.

With its subtle patchwork of guitars, ethereal harmonies and catchy chorus, “Nico” bears all the hallmarks of a classic pop single, right down to its 2:44 playing time and abruptly confident opening, a technique only used on a handful of massive 45’s, notably “She Loves You” (The Beatles), “The Beat Goes On” (Sonny & Cher) and “Dancing Queen” (ABBA).

The video

The video for “Nico” was shot on a shoestring budget over a two day period at the eerily beautiful Dok Noord in Ghent, a 19th century industrial estate currently being reconverted into a Docklands for the region. In keeping with the song’s theme of alienation, the band and director Jochen Decostere (Labrats) decided on taking the “bad trip” route.

Mixing state-of-the-art digital cinematography with time-honoured classic movie techniques such as wirework and stop motion, the video is surely one of the most disconcerting and visually striking statements from a debuting band in a long time. The “Nico” clip not only throws in references which will delight movie buffs and music lovers alike, it also pays homage to Joseph Plateau, the Belgian physicist who invented the “phenakistoscope” in 1832 and whose name lives on in the annual awards ceremony of the Flanders Film Festival.